My fascination with the original Fu Manchu novels started a good couple of years ago when I visited one of my favourite book stores of all times: ADVENTURES IN CRIME AND SPACE in Austin, TX. No idea if that place still exists. Haven't been in Austin in ages but that store was a mandatory stop whenever I was there.

Had purchased two or three of the Pyramid editions and fell in love with the cover design (as well as of course the stories). Over the years I gradually acquired the remaining Pyramids and read the books in random order.

And now have finally come around to reading the last piece of the collection, chronologically speaking the second in the actual series.

Unfortunately this is also one of my least favourite novels. Probably because they were initially conceived as short stories and only later combined into a novel format, the individual parts of the plot feel very random. There are moments when it seems as if one had accidentally skipped a few pages when we're being introduced to new characters in the middle of an important conversation and most of the rescues are very deus ex machina.

Still, even a very average Fu Manchu is a-ok in my book.